The second Ladies Day at St David’s, Eastham took place on Saturday 4th October, arriving with Storm Amy yet bringing a spirit of warmth and fellowship inside the church. The chosen theme was Worship Him in the beauty of holiness and worship was at the heart of the day.

Leaders of faith communities across Merseyside gathered this week, continuing a tradition that began in 2018. Twice a year, representatives from Christian denominations, including Catholic, Anglican, Free Churches, and leaders from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Baha'i communities come together to strengthen relationships and share a common purpose.

At Macclesfield & Bollington URC, the church family has been busy spreading joy both near and far through two heartwarming initiatives.

Churches across URC Mersey have been celebrating Harvest with joy, creativity and generosity. St Andrew’s Meols and The Uniting Church in Garden Lane, have shown how Harvest can bring people together, inspire action, and make a real difference in their communities.

This summer, members and friends of St David’s United Reformed Church, Eastham came together for their much-loved annual Church Family Camp, a week filled with fellowship, fun, and faith under the sun.

On Sunday 28th July, the grounds and halls of Christ Church URC Haydock were transformed into a vibrant hub of joy, laughter, and community spirit as over 250 people gathered for the church’s annual Summer Fayre.

Grange URC in Higher Bebington was filled with joy and song on Sunday 20th July, as the church family gathered for a very special event – Coffee, Cakes, and Choruses. It was the first Sunday evening service since Covid in 2020, and there was a real sense of gratitude and anticipation as friends, families, and even a few new faces came together once more in worship.

Open Table Warrington celebrated its 10th birthday with a full day of worship, creativity, and community connection at St John’s United Reformed Church on Sunday 13th July. Themed “Unite Under the Rainbow,” the event brought together long-standing members and first-time visitors to mark a decade of radical welcome and LGBTQIA+ inclusion in faith.

Fourteen-year-old James Ineichen, from Christ Church, Port Sunlight URC , has been named June’s recipient of the Lundie Memorial Award. James, was nominated by Susan Frowe, an Elder and Messy Church leader at Christ Church, Port Sunlight URC.

The United Reformed Church in Vicars Cross recently celebrated a major milestone, marking 60 years since its founding in the community. On the weekend of 28th–29th June, 2025, the church opened its doors and gardens to welcome the entire Vicars Cross community. The celebrations showcased the many ways in which God has been at work in the life of the church over the past six decades. The Lord Mayor of Chester, Clir Sherin Akhtar and Clir Elizabeth MacGlashen also attended along with local Parish Councillors.

The Plum Project, an initiative of the Uniting Church in Garden Lane, played a vital role in Wings of the Sky, a creative arts production rooted in the Sanctuary Seeking movement. The project was designed to involve local people seeking sanctuary through participatory arts and culminated in a moving performance at Chester Cathedral as a prelude to Refugee Week. Funding for Plum’s contribution to Wings of the Sky came from a combination of sources: Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWACC), the Mersey Synod Mission Grant, and individual donations.

From organising regular community litter picks with pupils from Locking Stumps Primary School to taking part in the Great British Spring Clean with 150 children from Birchwood CofE Primary School,  Thomas Risley URC TReco Group is committed to supporting its local community.

Friends of Wallasey, a campaign to end loneliness in the Wallasey and Wirral area, is a successful ‘adult youth club’ at Wallasey Village URC, with some of the group joining church services from this weekly community event.

Highfield URC, Rockferry member David Nicholas soon celebrates his 90th birthday and 36 years as the Liverpool Philharmonic Resident Film Organist. Learn about his faith and music journey in this feature.

Christ Church Haydock URC’s Junior Youth Club is open to all primary school age children in the community and is growing by the week with nearly 70 members. Children start off by listening to a short talk based around God’s word before choosing from a range of activities: football, table tennis, board games or crafts. Throughout the year, the Church also holds a number of ‘family night’ events which again provide the opportunity for to share God’s word, not only with the children, but with their parents too.

A round up of activities from across our churches for Easter 2025.

‘A Reimagined Worship’ is an intergenerational, community collaboration, where faith and theatre have been combined to create an innovative Sunday worship. Designed and led by Marrissa Thorpe, ten weekly workshops saw volunteer participants from St Columba URC engaged in collective service planning to assess the capacity for experimental worship within the United Reformed Church.

Seacombe URC has always been there for its community and is now rebuilding and redeveloping to continue meeting the needs of its neighbours. The old church building is being repurposed into a multi-functional building suitable for use as a community resource as well as a worshipping church. It is hoped to be completed in 2026 and has been assisted with funding from Mersey Synod Large Project Scheme. But why and how did the church come to develop this project? What does it mean for the community in Seacombe – spiritually and socially?

A wonderful service took place recently (14-16th March 2025) to celebrate 200 years of worship at St Andrew's URC Douglas. The Mersey Synod Moderator, Revd Geoff Felton, and Revd Catherine McFie visited the Isle of Man to join with St. Andrews Church in Douglas to celebrate their 200th Anniversary. The congregation was also joined by Victoria James, Chief Operating Officer of the URC, and Revd Dawn Mather, the most recent minister of the church. The service was led by Theunis Bassage and Richard Karran.

Sometimes it is the simple changes that can make a difference to mission. This is proven through Serpentine Road Family Church’s use of a Synod Mission Fund Grant to purchase new tables and chairs. This assisted the Church in providing a comfortable and presentable offering for the many groups that use their facilities.